Longtime Owner and Philanthropist Alex Campbell Dies

Lexington, Kentucky native Alex G. Campbell Jr., who campaigned the likes of GSWs winner Karlovy Vary, Mean Mary and Bye Bye Melvin, died in Delray, Florida, Tuesday. He was 95.

In addition to Karlovy Vary, who annexed Keeneland's GI Ashland S. in 2012, Campbell previously campaigned Turk O Witz, winner of the 1995 Santa Maria H. in addition to 1996 Big 'Cap scorer Mr Purple. Also running in his colors, dual graded stakes winner Ultra Brat, and Grade III victor It's Tea Time.

A member of The Jockey Club for 34 years, the longtime horse owner invested in First Security Bank in Lexington, which later sold to Bank One and subsequently to JPMorgan Chase. He was also among the early investors in what later became Humana Hospitals.

The philanthropic Campbell also supported the growth and development of downtown Lexington in the form of Triangle Park and Thoroughbred Park.

“I wish I had met him 30 years ago,” said Graham Motion, who trained Mean Mary and Bye Bye Melvin for Campbell. “He had a big influence on my career personally and professionally in a short space of time. It's part of a generation that we are going to miss in horse racing.”

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Mean Mary Retired

MGSW & MGISP Mean Mary (Scat Daddy–Karlovy Vary, by Dynaformer) has been retired from racing. Mary Venezie, who works for owner/breeder Alex G. Campbell, Jr., made the announcement on Twitter Friday.

“With heavy hearts, Team Campbell, Graham Motion and Herringswell Stable have decided to retire our girl, Mean Mary,” the tweet stated. “She ran a great race and we had so much fun cheering her on. We are very sad, but we are looking to the future and what is best for her.”

Earning her black-type badge in the 2020 GIII La Prevoyante S. at Gulfstream, Mean Mary followed suit with victories in the GIII Orchid S. in Hallandale and GII New York S. at Belmont. A neck second behind champion Rushing Fall (More Than Ready) in Saratoga's GI Diana S. last term, she was off the board in the GI Breeders' Cup F/M Turf at Keeneland.

Opening 2021 with a victory in Pimlico's GIII Gallorette S. May 15, Mean Mary defended her title in the New York June 4 and finished second behind Santa Barbara (Ire) (Camelot {GB}) in the GI Beverly D. S. at Arlington Aug. 14. The Graham Motion trainee retires with a record of 12-7-33-0 and earnings of $1,086,270.

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Mean Mary May Target Waya, Joe Hirsch At Belmont In October

Alex Campbell, Jr.'s Mean Mary is 2-for-2 competing in graded stakes races at Belmont Park and could look to extend that streak in the fall, with trainer Graham Motion saying the 5-year-old Scat Daddy mare is a possibility to return to the Elmont-based track.

After running second to winner Santa Barbara in the Grade 1 Beverly D. on August 14 at Arlington Park, Motion said Mean Mary is a possibility to compete in the $300,000 Grade 3 Fasig-Tipton Waya for fillies and mares 3-years-old and up at 1 3/8 miles on the turf on October 3. But Motion also left open the possibility that she could face males in the $500,000 Grade 1 Joe Hirsch Turf Classic held at 1 1/2 miles on October 9.

“She's good. I do plan to point her to the races at Belmont in October,” Motion said. “I would say both options are on the table.”

Mean Mary overcame challenging circumstances to finish as the Beverly D. runner-up, breaking through the gate and needing to be re-loaded. She still served as the pacesetter and finished strong enough to outkick Lemista by a neck.

“I definitely think it had an effect on her and her style. I thought she was courageous to run on and be second,” Motion said. “It's just disappointing because she didn't run her 'A' race.”

A closer effort to that A-grade race was her gate-to-wire triumph in the Grade 2 New York on the eve of Belmont Stakes Day June 4, when she held off next-out winner Thundering Nights by a nose to win the 1 1/4-mile contest and earn triple-digit speed figures for the third time in her career, garnering a 101 Beyer.

The win helped Mean Mary repeat in the prestigious stake, as she cruised to a 5 1/2-length score in the 2020 edition of the New York in her Belmont debut.

She followed with a thrilling second to Rushing Fall in the 2020 Grade 1 Diana at Saratoga, finishing a neck short in the elusive quest to give Motion his first win in the stakes, but still earned a personal-best 102 Beyer.

Starting her current campaign after ending 2020 with a seventh in the Grade 1 Breeders' Cup Filly and Mare Turf in November at Keeneland, Mean Mary won the Grade 3 Gallorette in May at Pimlico in returning from a five-month freshening before going on to the New York and Beverly D.

While Mean Mary could be running in a stakes at a NYRA track, stablemates Ziyad and Invincible Gal will be skipping potential starts at Saratoga this upcoming week.

Wertheimer and Frere's Ziyad, who was targeting the $120,000 John's Call on Wednesday, will skip that start in favor of additional rest. His previous start was a sixth-place effort in the Grade 2 Belmont Gold Cup on June 4.

“Unfortunately, I can't make that race with him, which is disappointing,” Motion said. “I haven't been happy with him the last week or so; I didn't feel good about doing it. He also got sick, which was part of the problem. He needs more time.”

The British-bred Ziyad, who arrived from Europe last fall and transferred into Motion's care, capped his 2020 with consecutive third-place finishes in the Grade 3 Sycamore at Keeneland and the Grade 3 Red Smith at Aqueduct, respectively. The now 6-year-old Rock of Gibraltar gelding made his seasonal bow in a sixth-place Grade 1 Man o' War finish in May at Belmont before the Belmont Gold Cup.

Invincible Gal, who was possible for the $120,000 Riskaverse on Thursday at Saratoga, will likely target another race closer to where she is training at Motion's base in Fair Hill, Maryland, her conditioner said.

“She probably won't go there,” Motion said. “She's doing fine, but I just think there are probably other spots for her without going back up there.”

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Santa Barbara Finds More Success On American Turf In Beverly D At Arlington

Her second trip over an American turf course was her second winning one as Santa Barbara won the Grade1 Beverly D at Arlington Park in Arlington Heights, Ill. on Arlington Million Day. After a less-than-ideal trip in the Grade 1 Belmont Oaks, where she was boxed in early, jockey Ryan Moore was able to find more running room in the Beverly D, sitting behind leader Mean Mary throughout before moving to the outside on the final turn and sprinting to the lead in the stretch to win by four lengths.

With Bramble Queen and Oh So Terrible both scratched, the field for the Grade 1 turf stakes was down to five, with Mean Mary breaking from the inside and Santa Barbara from the middle of the pack. The field got away cleanly after Mean Mary broke through the gate prematurely and was then reloaded with no trouble. Luis Saez moved Mean Mary out to the lead in the first quarter with Naval Laughter a half length behind her on the outside. Moore kept Santa Barbara running easily on the rail in third, as Mean Mary logged a first quarter in :24.57 and a half-mile in :49.31.

Naval Laughter challenged Mean Mary's lead briefly going into the final turn of the 1 3/16 mile Beverly D, pulling even with Mean Mary as Moore moved Santa Barbara away from the rail. On the final turn, Santa Barbara was two wide, making her move on the outside of Mean Mary and Naval Laughter. Into the stretch, Santa Barbara easily took over the lead, drawing away from the field under a hand ride from Moore as Lemista sprinted through the stretch, almost catching Mean Mary at the wire. Joy Epifora and Naval Laughter rounded out the short field.

The final time for the G1 Beverly D was 1:54.55. Find this race's chart here.

Santa Barbara paid $4.00, $2.20. and $2.10. Mean Mary paid $2.40 and $2.10. Lemista paid $2.20.

“She was always a filly I had a high opinion of,” winning rider Moore said to Arlington Park's Vince Greco after the race. “She was very comfortable through the race. Very straightforward today.”

Bred in Ireland by Whisperview Trading Ltd., Santa Barbara is by British sire Camelot out of the Danehill mare Senta's Dream (GB). Owned by Mrs. John Magnier, Michael Tabor, Derrick Smith, and Westerburg, the 3-year-old filly is trained by Aidan O'Brien. With her win in the G1 Beverly D, Santa Barbara has three wins in six lifetime starts for career winnings of $731,612.

 

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